


A Lesson in Confidence

by tardisswimmingpool



Category: Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade - Fandom
Genre: M/M, mystrade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-08
Updated: 2014-12-08
Packaged: 2018-02-28 14:10:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2735528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tardisswimmingpool/pseuds/tardisswimmingpool
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I found some one-shots that I wrote before I started using AO3 (it was awhile ago), and I feel like sharing them since I don't have much time these next two weeks to write anything new. Here's the first one...</p><p>Greg is very insecure about going to the city pool, but his loving boyfriend helps him get through it</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Lesson in Confidence

A swimming pool. A public swimming pool. On the list of things that Greg enjoyed visiting, this was not one of them. Every since he was a little boy, he hated taking his shirt off in public. Normally Greg wasn't an insecure person. He spoke his mind and defended others, especially Mycroft, when he needed to. He wore clothes that pleased him and didn't give a shit about the thoughts of his peers regarding his sexuality. But that all changed when he took off his clothes. It was like stripping away his confidence. 

It was different when he and his boyfriend were being intimate because Mycroft made him feel good about himself, and nothing else mattered. In Mycroft's mind Greg was the hottest and sweetest guy on Earth, but, in the eyes of everyone else, he was the puny, grey-haired man standing in the corner of the pool with his hands covering his nipples. He was a totally different person.

Recently, he had been preparing for this situation by borrowing Mycroft's weight set in the exercise room of the house they shared. His partner was unaware of this, however, because Greg made sure only to work out when Myc wasn't home. It made him feel guilty to be seen worrying about his body because he was always the one telling Mycroft that he was perfect , and nobody could tell him otherwise. The whole thing was stupid, and it left him with nothing. He was still the weak older man in a pool of kids in their 20s. Even worse, he was the weak older man in a pool of kids in their 20s, standing next to his partner whom he loves to death, but cannot kiss or hug for fear of offending people. The whole world was messed up.

Greg stared at himself in the mirror. He had his swim trunks in one hand, and he took a long look at his naked body. The more he looked, the less satisfied he became. "I'm too short." "I'm too tall." "I'm not buff enough." "I'm too skinny." "I'm too fat. My god, look at that belly." "What if my dick bulges too much in these shorts?" "What if I'm too pale?" "I wanna tan, but if I lie out then people will stare." He sighed. 

He wondered why Myc wanted to go to the pool anyway. He wasn't into that sort of thing-he never was. Especially being so insecure himself. This was the first time they had gone to the pool since they first started dating. They hadn't gone again because of the issues they both had with it. And yet it was his idea when he came home from work the day before. "Let's go to the pool tomorrow." No explanation for it. And here they were. Perhaps he was trying to have them both face a fear. They'd been doing that a lot lately. But this was one fear Greg wasn't so sure he could get over. 

He looked himself over again. 

"Why must you always look so...pathetic," he mumbled to himself.

"Greg!" 

"Crap," he started to pull on his shorts, but the door opened before he could. 

"Don't look! I'm not done changing," he spun around and pulled up his shorts.

"Relax," Myc said and pushed him aside a little to fix his hair. "It's not like it's something I haven't seen before," he winked a little, but Greg wasn't in the mood for jokes. 

Myc sighed and put his arm around his partner. 

"Look, you're the best-looking man alive in my eyes, " he looked into the mirror with Greg and ran his hands over the other man's chest. "Don't ever forget that." 

"I don't know if I can do it," Greg said, his voice a little higher pitched than usual. 

"Yes you can," Myc turned his body so that they were looking into each other's eyes (cliché, but he had to let Greg know he was serious). "I love you, and if I say you are the hottest man I've ever seen, then you are. No doubt about it. And if other people don't agree, fuck them."

"You don't curse," Greg said.

"I do when I want my partner to know how much I fucking love them. And when they are so insecure that they can't realize how fucking sexy they really are. I can curse as much as I fucking want to if that's what it takes to get through to you."

Greg smiled a little. Despite all the cussing involved in those statements, he was being incredibly sweet. One of the many reasons why he loved him so much.

"Now come here," Myc said and held out his arms.

"Why?"

"Because I'm gonna hug you, ya idiot," he laughed and wrapped his arms around Greg. "Don't worry so much," he snuggled his face into Greg's bare skin. 

-

The men's locker room wreaked of chlorine and perspiration. Since it was early, many of the guys were still packing up from the morning session of the city swim team. It must've been the higher level because Greg saw a lot of senior guys who were ripped, and the sight of them made his stomach turn. He looked away. One of the boys had noticed him and laughed.

"Ay, grandpa, like what you see?" He held out his arms and spun around in a circle, showing off his body, still laughing.

Greg ignored them and, hesitantly, slipped his shirt over his head. He stood there with his arms around his chest, hugging himself and wishing Myc would come back from the restroom. 

"What's wrong, man?" another one of the boys asked. "You ain't got nothing we don't." 

"Maybe he's afraid cause he's fat," his friend mocked. 

Greg wanted to slip his shirt back over his head, but he stopped when Myc returned. He stared at the boys and frowned.

"You guys have a problem?" He asked. 

"No," the boys said and grabbed their bags. 

They eyed Mycroft as they left, observing him as he took Greg's hand lovingly. A couple of them giggled-a few just stared. 

"They're just a bunch of ignorant kids," Mycroft told Greg. "Don't listen to them." 

"They called me fat," he muttered.

"You're not fat. Look at this!" He removed Greg's hands and ran his fingers over the flattening stomach Greg had been working to achieve. " This is not fat," he put Greg's hands around the little bulge that was his own. "This is fat."

Greg smiled although he knew he shouldn't.

"You're not fat either," he told his partner. "It's adorable." 

"Ya well, adorable doesn't get you a hot date," he joked.

"Have your eye on someone?" Greg grinned.

"Nobody in particular," he smirked, "Although, some of those swimmer boys were pretty...phew," he fanned himself with his hand. 

Greg narrowed his eyes in a jealous way, but the effect didn't get past the giant smile on his face. He shoved Myc playfully only to receive a set of fingers tickling him to death. He always hated being tickled. It's like dying because you can't breath and, even though you are laughing your head off, you are actually experiencing a great amount of pain.

"Stop. Stop," he gasped for breath. "What if somebody sees us?"

"Since when does the great and confident Gregory Lestrade care about what other people think?"

"Good point."

"You know what, let's skip the pool. We can go hang out in the shower." 

"Oh, god, Mycroft. That's gross."

"No, nothing like that. But we can cuddle in there. I really want to hug you." 

"Hug me at home," he said as firmly as he could, "We came here to swim."

"Really?"

"Ya," Greg answered, "We could go over to the lap lanes. I'll race ya." 

"Fat chance," Myc said, but he grabbed Greg's hand and started walking towards the entrance to the pool. 

They pretty much ignored anybody that stared at them as they made their way to the back of the pool area. They set down their towels on a set of benches, and Mycroft started to lie down. Greg wouldn't let him." 

"Come on, let's go," Greg pulled his partner towards the lap lanes.

"What are you doing?"

"Did you think I was joking?" He laughed. "Race ya!"

He shoved Mycroft into the pool and jumped in himself. His boyfriend glared at him.

"I'm going to drown your ass when this is over." 

"You gotta catch up with me first," and he sped off.


End file.
